I had been in Chicago for eight days by now and was enjoying a Tuesday morning Over 25s session at The Rink — where the average age of the skaters seemed to be around 60+. It's a place where you can come along on your own, yet never feel alone - they're an incredibly bouyant and friendly bunch of people.
Early into the session, I got chatting with a smiley, vibrant woman called Emma. Emma was clearly having a thoroughly good time, effortlessly doing her thing as a social butterfly whilst she skated. She told me she was over 70 and absolutely loved skating.
Her personality was so playful, open and engaging, that I felt compelled to find out more about her skating journey. And, Emma being Emma, she instantly agreed and came to find me for a chat soon after.
"I can do it all by myself. I don't have to have somebody go out with me to the skate. I get in my car. I get in my skates and I go skating. That's it. The freedom. The freedom to be in you."
~Emma
7 Questions
Q. 1 How did you get into skating?
"Emma was born and raised on a farm in a little town in Arkansas. I left there and came to the big city where it was culture shock, you feel me.
But God was with me all the way. And one day I was on vacation. And I had a car and I had a sister and a niece, both named Martha. They were skaters. They had me to drop them off at a skating rink on 89th. The old rink, this is the new one. I made a mistake and I went inside, and I went inside and I saw at 10 oclock on a Thursday morning people like me, my age, skating and having fun."
Q. 2. Tell me about your skating journey?
"I was probably about 23, something like that. But from then on, I was trying to learn.
The drama that you go through at skating, believe me. There was some drama. But I managed. So I bought me some skates and I got on the floor and was trying to learn how to skate.
I'm thinking it's easy. So I would get on the wall and then women would be hollering at me, get off the wall. Everybody hollering, get off the wall. And I was like, okay, if I do, I'm going to fall. It's in my protection. But after over the years, I realised, you know, that I need to get off the wall. And I've developed my skills.
I never took any lessons. Everything that I do is on my own. And I think I'm one of the best skaters here, really. And I'm like, I am in my 70s. I'll tell you that.
I was featured in a magazine. they were featuring people. Actually, I think they were going on my profession. I'm a retired police officer. 70 years old, still skating, still spinning. Two new knees. All of that wrapped into one package.
But I love skating."
Q.3. So what's your favourite thing to do when you're skating?
"I get out all over the place. I do this spinning in the middle. I do going down the centre. I'm on one leg. I'll tell you name and I'm doing it. Yeah its because I love to skate.
It was in the late 70s when I learned how to skate though. When I was learning. We'd skate on Sundays and then come back on Monday. And then you know sometimes twice a day. And then we'll go to this rink and that rink will all over the place."
Q.4: What is it that really captivates you about skating?
"I can do it all by myself. I don't have to have somebody go out with me to the skate. I get in my car. I get in my skates and I go skating. That's it. The freedom. The freedom to be you.
You come and skate.
Let me tell you when my mother died I skated. When my father died I skated. The death in the family. Where am I going? I was skating. And I advise to other people you know if you're hurting. What else are you going to do?
[Me: So skating is the remedy.]
Yes."
Q.5: What's been the highlights for you?
"Well A.R.P decided they would do a story. You can join A.R.P. I guess you have to be at least 50 to join. They've been around for a very long time. So they decided they wanted to do something about skaters of a certain age.
I was still skating.
Matter of fact I won at pool. I won a trophy. I never was into pool but I started practising and watching them and now I can beat everyone. You know they don't like it when I beat them. I raised the pool stick over my head, so everybody knows that I won too.
Some people come here because they want to step. They got a little step floor over there where you can dance. It is a big social club."
"They seem to be getting more aggressive. People wearing masks and stuff. I think they started letting people who were younger than us in. And now it seems like there's more and more of them.
But we seem to manage."
➡️ Watch Video: Meet Emma [retired police officer]
➡️ Listen via Youtube
➡️ Previous interview: 7 Questions With [Just Turned 80] George
➡️ Listen to the 7 Q's series on Spotify or Apple Podcast
Kelly
Cranial Osteopath | Wellbeing Coach | Roller Skate Instructor
🗯️ What have you learned from Emma's story? Share your thoughts in the comments below or, leave us a lil emoji response.
